PNWBA Presents
BBQ Pitmaster Competition Cooking Class
Battle Ground, Washington
Saturday, June 7th, 2025 - 6:30 am to 7:00pm

Registration Closes End of Day Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025

This class is a combination of classroom lectures, live demonstrations and hands-on practice on how to select, prepare, cook and present Competition Quality Beef Brisket, Pork Butt, Chicken and Pork Ribs. We will instruct through the entire process of a BBQ competition, from prepping the meat to turning your entry into a team of judges for evaluation.

Presented by a team of All-Star Pitmasters from the area, combined they have been competing for more than fifty years, all over the country, winning countless awards in all four meat categories. Together, they will lead you through all the details to make great BBQ.

Each student is requested to bring at least one charcoal or wood-pellet cooking device. If not available or not easily transportable, let us know as we have a limited number of smokers you can borrow for the class. You will be paired up with 2 or 3 classmates into a team that will cook all four provided meats. We will also provide you with seasoning and sauces to use in the class. A full list of required additional equipment and supplies will be sent to you shortly after you register for the class. Again, let us know if you are short on some of the items and we will try to help you out as best we can.

Class size is initially limited to 16 participants overall. As we recruit more pitmasters to help with instruction, we can expand the number of students that can participate. Each registered student is invited to sign up a Plus One who is a family member or a bona fide BBQ teammate at a reduced tuition until the class is full.

Students should wear clothing that is comfortable in the outdoors and be prepared for inclement weather, although our work will be mostly under available canopies.

A class outline will be provided that allows for plenty of notetaking, but you might want to bring along a notebook for yourself and/or your Plus One. Bring your own writing instrument.

Bottled water will be available throughout the class. In addition to sampling your own cooking, the event will provide light snacks and a lunch cooked on our equipment. We are limited in our capacity to meet your dietary restrictions. If you have any, please contact Dale Groetsema at the number below before signing up for this class..

When:

Saturday, June 7th, 2025
6:30 AM - 7:00 PM

Schedule:

Arrival begins at 6:30 to 7:00am to check in and get to know your classmates and instructors. Set up your cook site.

8:00am – Class Begins

Topics include

• Meat Selection, Preparation, Cooking and Presenting the Four Meats in a BBQ Competition

• Beef Brisket

• Pork Butt

• Chicken

• Pork Ribs

• Flavor Profiles

• Smoking Woods

• BBQ Equipment

• Judging Criteria

• Cooksite Setup

7:00pm – Class Ends

What to Bring:

• A notebook and pen for taking notes

• Your appetite! You’ll be tasting some mouthwatering BBQ during the class.

• A wood pellet or charcoal cooking device - No propane or electric as a heat source.

• Equipment and supplies from a list we will send you after you register

Entry Fee:

If you are thinking about including a Plus One, we recommend you should do it when you register as we expect the class to fill.

• $195.00 USD per Student 

• $100.00 for a guest of a student that is either a teammate or immediate family member. Limit one guest per Student.

• Cancellations and refunds (minus $15 processing fees) available up to 7 days prior to the class.

Student Registration Includes:

• Tasting samples of all meats cooked in the class

• 1 year membership to PNWBA (or a one year extension if already a member)

• Printed Class outline

• PNWBA Swag

• Free entry to one future PNWBA BBQ competition (value up to $195), valid through 12/31/2025. Please note that certain events may be excluded or subject to restrictions.

• Discount on purchases of seasonings and sauces used in the class

• Mentorship by an experienced Pitmaster (when available) at select future BBQ competitions

• Your team of 2-3 additional classmates will receive 1 brisket, 1 pork butt, 12 pieces of chicken and 2 slabs of pork ribs. After sampling your meat and submitting your entry to the judges, you may split up the leftovers with your teammates to take home with you. 

• All seasonings and sauces you will need to cook the meat

Guest of Student Registration Includes:

• Tasting samples of all meats cooked in the class

Location:

The Compound (aka Dale Groetsema residence)
13500 NE 244th Street
Battle Ground, WA 98604
Detailed driving instructions will be sent to you after registration as most Map applications get confused about our private driveway.

Questions?
For additional information, contact Dale Groetsema / Dale@PNWBA.com 360-984-7571